27 Best Gig Jobs That Actually Fill Your Pockets
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Many people out there think that the gig economy is all about doing odd jobs for little to no pay. While this can be true sometimes, many gigs pay quite well.
This blog post will discuss some of the best gigs out there that can help you make a good living. So whether you're looking for a new career or just want to make some extra money on the side, read on for our top picks!
Why Should I Get a Gig Economy Job?
You might want to consider getting a gig job for several reasons. For one, they can be a great way to make some extra money. Additionally, many gig jobs offer flexibility in terms of hours and location, which can be great for busy people or those who want to work from home.
Another reason to consider gig jobs is that they often require little to no experience, so they can be a great way to get your foot in the door of a new industry. And finally, gig jobs can lead to full-time work. You may use your skills to start your own freelance business or even gain the attention of a company that could offer you a full-time job.
They also offer protection if you're laid off from your primary job, as you'll always have gig work to fall back on. Diversifying your income streams is one of the best ways to protect yourself financially, and gig economy jobs are a great way to do this.
27 Best Gig Economy Jobs
Now that we've discussed some reasons why you might want to get a gig job, let's take a look at some of the best options. These companies have been chosen based on several factors. These include pay, flexibility, and opportunity for advancement or additional bonuses.
Delivery Gig Economy Jobs
A delivery gig job is a position that requires you to deliver goods or services to customers. This could be anything from food to furniture to flowers.
Delivery gigs are a great option for those who want to work on their schedule and be their boss. You will usually be by yourself for these jobs, except when picking up and delivering the product. These days, many delivery gigs offer contactless pickup and delivery, making it even more convenient and safe.
You'll need a car for most delivery gigs, but some companies will allow you to use a bike or scooter. If you fit this bill, then a delivery gig job might be a good fit for you!
1. Grub Hub
Grub Hub is one of the most popular food delivery services. They have several different restaurants that you can choose from, so there's bound to be something you like. The pay is good, and the app is popular in many cities, so you're likely to get a lot of orders.
To become a Grub Hub driver, you'll need to be at least 19 years old and have a valid driver's license. You'll also need to pass a background check.
You can earn between $13 to $19 an hour with the company.
2. Door Dash
Door Dash is another popular food delivery service available in more than 7,000 cities worldwide. One nice thing about driving for Door Dash is that you can use a car, bicycle, or scooter to deliver the food.
Similarly to Grub Hub, you must be 18 years old, have proof of a driver's license and a social security number, and submit a background check.
Earnings range from $12 to $25 an hour, and you can get paid weekly via direct deposit.
3. Instacart
Instacart is a grocery delivery service available in more than 24,000 cities. They partner with a number of grocery stores. As a shopper, you'll pick up and deliver groceries to customers.
Since you'll be working with food, you will need to have a reliable car and be comfortable lifting heavy boxes. You must also be 18 years or older and pass a background check.
Shoppers can earn up to $25 an hour with Instacart but reported earnings average between $10 to $17 an hour.
4. Caviar
Caviar is a restaurant delivery service that focuses on higher-end top restaurants. If you live in one of the 4,000 cities that offer this service, it's a great way to become a gig worker without competition from other mainstream platforms.
The company is owned by Doordash and allows you to deliver food by car, bicycle, or scooter, depending on your home city.
You can earn between $20 to $30 an hour when you factor in the bonuses and tips that the company provides.
5. Postmates
Postmates is a veteran in the gig economy world, making it a reliable and popular option. Unlike other delivery services on this list, they deliver much more than food.
Sometimes Postmates has you pick up pre-paid orders. Other times, if the store isn't affiliated with the company, you will shop for and buy the items yourself with a prepaid card. The company then reimburses you.
Pay begins at $13 an hour, but top earners make about $28 an hour on the platform.
6. Amazon Flex
Instead of delivering food or convenience store items, Amazon Flex allows you to deliver items for the world's largest online retailer, Amazon. You will drive to a local warehouse and pick up items that need to be delivered to your area.
To qualify, you must be 21 years or older and have a clean driving record. You'll also need to pass a background check and have access to a reliable car. You sign up for delivery blocks that span from 1 to 5 hours in length. This is one of the best paying gigs out of the many Amazon business opportunities.
Amazon Flex is available in 50 cities across the US and pays $18 to $25 an hour, with increased payouts during holidays and busy periods.
Transportation Gig Economy Jobs
While the previous examples all focused on food delivery, there are other types of gig economy jobs that focus on transportation. These jobs are perfect for more social gig workers with safe, clean cars.
7. Uber
Uber has been around since 2009 and is one of the market's most reliable gig economy jobs. You can simply turn on the app and start working whenever you want. You can drive as little or as much as you want and still get paid weekly.
The company has updated its platform to offer tip options for riders, which has increased earnings for drivers. The company also offers an opportunity to deliver food through Uber Eats for even more earnings.
You can earn between $15 to $22 an hour if you consistently use the app.
8. Lyft
Lyft is a transportation gig economy job that is similar to Uber. The app is turned on, and you drive people around your city. Lyft owns about 31% of the ride-share market, so you can expect to find consistent work.
The company also allows riders to tip you for up to 72 hours, so some residual income could likely come rolling in after each ride. Many drivers use both Lyft and Uber to maximize their earnings.
Lyft pays out about $17 an hour on average, from $15 to $18 an hour.
9. Roadie
Roadie is a UPS-owned delivery company that focuses on same-day and next-day deliveries. It connects drivers with people who need items delivered in the driver's vicinity.
This company is great for those with larger vehicles because you can deliver items that wouldn't normally fit in a car, like grills or mattresses. Roadie also offers an option to insure your deliveries.
You can earn anywhere between $13 per trip to $650 per trip, depending on the items you're transporting as well as the distance of the delivery.
10. Lime
Lime “Juicers” are the people who charge electric scooters. You'll receive a different level of compensation depending on how low the battery level is and the distance of the charger from the drop-off location.
Collecting the scooters is known as harvesting and involves checking the Lime app to see if any nearby items need to be recharged. You then go to the location, grab the scooters, bring them home, and charge them.
Once the scooter has reached a minimum charge of 95%, you can return them to their designated spots. Luckily, the company will send you charging power supplies to help minimize your costs.
You'll get paid $5 to $6 per scooter charged, which can add up to around $20 an hour if you're strategic.
11. HopSkipDrive
HopSkipDrive provides safe transport for children who need to get to school or extracurricular activities. Because this service is primarily for children, the company has rigorous standards for its gig workers.
You must be at least 23 years old and have 5 years of caregiving experience. You will have a fingerprinted background check and also need a clean driving record. Finally, this job requires a 4-door car less than 10 years old.
If you meet these requirements, you'll see higher pay rates than you would with Uber or Lyft, averaging between $20 to $40 an hour.
Rental Gig Economy Jobs
If you have space in your home or a vehicle, you can put it to use and earn some extra cash by renting it out. A great benefit of this type of job is that it can be semi-passive income. Instead of driving your car around for the whole duration of your workday, you can let your assets do the work for you.
Make sure to maintain your property well and respond to your renters' needs.
12. AirBnB
Airbnb is one of the most popular rental platforms. You can list your space for free and set your own price and availability. You can rent a room, share a space, or even rent an entire apartment or home.
Airbnb is also a great platform for posting nontraditional rental spaces, like boats, treehouses, RVs, and more.
To be a successful Airbnb host, you need to provide a clean and comfortable space as well as be responsive to your guests' needs. To make your space stand out, you should also take advantage of the platform's listing features, like adding photos and descriptions.
The average Airbnb host in the US earns about $950 a month, but this number will of course vary depending on your rental location and amenities.
13. RVShare
RVShare has over 60,000 listings and is one of the main players in the RV rental game. It makes it easy for RV owners who are retiring their live-in vehicles for the season or longer to make some extra cash by renting them out.
To list your RV on RVShare, you'll need to create a profile and add photos and information about your vehicle. You'll also set your rental price and availability.
Listing your RV on the site is completely free. However, once your RV is rented, you'll pay a commission rate of 25% as well a 10% post-trip fee.
Owners can charge a dumping fee and cleaning fee to minimize maintenance expenses.
Earnings range greatly depending on the frequency in which you rent your RV. Reported earnings range from $10,000 to $60,000 a year. This means that this gig could replace a full-time income.
14. Outdoorsy
Outdoorsy is another popular RV rental platform with over 80,000 listings. Like RVShare, it's free to list your vehicle. However, you'll pay a commission of 20%
You can also charge a cleaning fee and security deposit to help offset any wear and tear on your vehicle.
The company has a handy earnings calculator that will help you predict how much you can earn on the platform. However, you can expect to make an average of $650 per booking.
15. Hip Camp
Hip Camp is a rental platform for unique camping experiences. Think glamping, primitive sites, and everything between.
This is a perfect option for someone who has some land and wants to share it with others. You can list your campsite for free and set your own price.
Hip Camp takes a 15% commission on each booking, but you also have the option to add a service fee to help offset this cost.
You can expect to earn between $800 to $1556 per month, depending on your location and amenities.
16. VRBO
VRBO is a popular platform for vacation rentals. Homeowners and property managers can list their properties for free and set their own price and availability.
In contrast to Airbnb, VRBO offers a slightly elevated experience and attracts an older, more affluent demographic. However, many renters cross-post their units on both platforms to reach a wider audience.
VRBO guests also tend to book longer stays on average when compared to Airbnb.
To list your property on VRBO, you'll need to create a profile and add photos and information about your rental. You'll also set your rental price and availability.
Short-term renters using the VRBO platform can make up to $33,000 a year and even more money if they rent multiple properties.
17. Turo
Turo is a car-sharing marketplace that allows you to rent out your personal vehicle when you're not using it. It's similar to Airbnb, but for cars.
To list your car on Turo, you'll need to create a profile and add photos and information about your vehicle. You'll also set your rental price and availability.
Turo takes a 15% to 40% commission on each booking, which helps to cover the insurance expenses and advertising efforts that the company provides.
The average Turo host earns about $650 per month. Turo states that it's possible to earn up to ,000 per year with consistent renting (and we reviewed whether or not Turo is legit that you won't want to miss). You could even earn a six figure income with a whole fleet of rental cars (and we have a full guide on how to start a car rental business here).
18. Neighbor
The Neighbor app allows you to rent out self-storage, car storage, RV storage, boat storage, trailer storage, and even business inventory. This can provide customers with lower storage costs while allowing you to profit off of your extra space.
You'll need to pay a host processing fee of 4.9% and 30 cents to Neighbor when someone books you to store their things in your home or on your land. There is no fee to list your storage area on the platform.
Each host gets an insurance plan covering up to 1 million dollars in host protection as well as $25,000 in theft and damage protection.
The average host earns about $200 per month with Neighbor, and can make up to $600 in an average-sized home.
Care Services Gig Economy Jobs
If you have a knack for taking care of children or pets, there are a number of care services you can offer on the gig economy to make some extra cash. Since you'll be taking care of people's most precious family members, you'll usually need to have a clean background check and references (a company like BeenVerified is one way to do this and we found out if its legit).
19. Wag
If you're looking for a flexible, part-time job as a dog walker or pet sitter, Wag is a great option. You can create your own schedule and rates while working with some of the cutest furry friends around. This is one of the best gig jobs for those who like to stay active and spend time outdoors.
To get started with Wag, you'll need to create a profile and pass a background check. Once you're approved, you will see opportunities in your area and can start accepting jobs. Some jobs are one-time offers while others are for dedicated weekly walks.
Wag takes a 40% commission off your base pay, and you will keep all your tips when working for the platform. While this seems like a steep fee, it can add up quickly if you're walking several dogs at once or working multiple jobs.
Payments are made weekly through the app, and you can cash out your earnings at any time for a small fee. The average Wag dog walker earns about $17 per hour.
20. Rover
If you don't have time to manage several dog walks every day, Rover is a great alternative. This platform helps you to market your dogsitting services. You can either go stay in another person's home or board dogs at your own place.
You can also take care of other animals such as cats, hamsters, birds, and beyond. While the service offers dog walking as well, these requests are less common.
Rover will take a 20% cut from your earnings, including any tip the pet owner provides. You can cash out your earnings at any time for a small fee, and payments are made weekly through the app.
The average Rover dog sitter earns about $200 per month while top sitters earn $1000 per month. You can scale your earnings if you run a doggy daycare through the platform.
21. Care.com
Care.com is a website that connects families with caregivers. You can use the website to find babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, and more. Care.com also offers a background check service to ensure that all of their caregivers are qualified.
You can create a profile on Care.com for free and start searching for families in your area that need your help. This is one of the best gig economy jobs for parents that need a flexible job that can be done from home.
You can make $20 on average for child care services and $15 on average for less specialized services such as housekeeping. Care.com also offers “benefit bucks”, an accumulative credit that can be redeemed for education costs, transportation, and even health insurance expenses. You can earn up to $500 in benefit bucks per year.
22. Helpr
The Helpr app has been around since January 2016 and provides on-demand babysitters, nannies, and adult care providers. You can create a profile on the app for free and start browsing through available jobs in your area.
You need to have two years of professional childcare service experience, and three professional references. Also, you'll need to pass a criminal background check and become CPR certified.
On average, Helpr caretakers make about $26 an hour. Pay varies by the length and type of job provided in the app.
General Service Gig Economy Jobs
If you're a jack-of-all-trades, there are a number of general service jobs you can do in the gig economy. There are plenty of opportunities to find general work on Fiverr and Upwork, but there are also apps that can help facilitate high-paying jobs. If you have experience with plumbing, assembly, building, or even moving, you can find work as an independent contractor on one of these platforms.
They can often be higher paying than other gig economy jobs, but they also require more training and experience.
23. Thumbtack
Thumbtack allows professionals of all walks of life to share their services with the local community. You can find freelance writers, a virtual assistant, a freelance graphic designer, and just about any other service on the platform.
This makes Thumbtack more of a job directory than a traditional gig economy platform or app. Also, many gig economy apps will automatically match you with a provider. However, Thumbtack allows you to check out reviews and choose a gig worker you feel the most comfortable working with.
There is no commission fee on Thumbtack. Instead, they accept payment to send you leads, and potential customers for job opportunities. You don't have to pay any fee to continue to work with a lead or for any referrals your lead sends to you.
Earnings on Thumbtack vary greatly but usually average out to be about $100-$500 a project. Keep in mind that paying for leads may reduce overall profit.
24. TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit is a popular platform that provides people with local cleaners, movers, assemblers, and beyond. In short, they help to complete small to medium tasks around the home.
When you sign up for the platform, you'll undergo a screening process and input your experience for each task category that you want to sell on the app. You'll receive a one-time $25 registration fee when you're approved for the app.
Afterward, they will take a 15% commission fee with each project you complete. You also get to keep the complete percentage of your tips.
A Tasker is likely to earn between $20 to $60 per hour, depending on the project.
25. Handy
At Handy, you can work as a house cleaner, a handyperson, or a lawn care expert. The requirements are pretty light. But you do need to have experience being paid for the services you plan on providing.
You can expect to grab between 1 to 5 gig jobs a day depending on the length of the project and the location.
You will need to bring all of your own supplies for each gig job and factor that into the overall cost, unlike a traditional job that often covers these expenses.
House cleaners make $22 an hour per job. Doing odd jobs around the home can earn up to $45 an hour. Lawn care pros are paid the most, earning up to $62 an hour.
26. Task Easy
Are you a landscaper or a whiz when it comes to lawn care? TaskEasy is perfect for freelance workers who want to connect with property owners for lawn services.
You can find your own clients who will pay good money on a regular basis for regular work. You can create weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly recurring services to stabilize your income and create a day job.
Expect to make $15 to $25 an hour as a lawn care expert with TaskEasy. If you create an “Elite Landscape” or “Commercial Landscape” Contract with the company, your earnings can be even higher.
27. Bellhop
Bellhop is a moving company that allows you to work as an independent contractor. You can sign up on the platform and get connected with customers in your area who need moving services.
You start by setting your availability in the app's calendar, and they automatically match you with jobs in your windows of availability. The company also offers referral incentives, so you can earn even more when you recommend that people use the app or other users recommend you.
The pay is $21 an hour plus tips, which you keep 100%. You will also earn 25 cents per mile after the first 30 miles of commuting to the job site.
Which Gig Job Pays the Most?
The highest paying gig economy jobs will be the ones that you have personal experience with. For example, if you have worked as a landscaper before, you will e able to find gig economy jobs that pay top dollar from companies like TaskEasy.
Another category of high-earners gig jobs are ones you can keep doing for hours on end. For example, many gig workers make good money with Uber or Lyft because continuous rides are available in major cities. You can pull 10 to 12-hour shifts with minimal breaks and make large amounts of money, especially if you're driving during “surge” periods where rates for independent contractors are higher than usual.
Here are some other gig jobs that have good median monthly earnings for those who have minimal experience in the field and are working under 15 hours:
- Renting property median monthly income earnings: $2345
- Freelance writing or consulting median monthly income: $1000
- Caretaking median monthly income: $3100
- Landscaping and gardening median monthly income: $1500
- Handyman and repairs median monthly income: $2000
- Teaching median monthly income: $2500
- Videography median monthly income: $1900
- Coaching median monthly income: $500
- Graphic design online median monthly income: $1200
Of course, every field always has outliers who make more or less than the median. But if you're looking to start working in the gig economy and want to find a job that actually pays well, these are some of your best options. You can also look for
Can You Make a Living on Gig Work?
Yes, it's possible to make a full-time living in the gig economy!
The best way to maximize your earnings is to sign up for multiple gig economy platforms and build a profile that showcases your skills and experience.
You should also focus on getting great reviews. Not only does this make customers more likely to hire you, but it also means that the apps will usually give you more job listing overall.
Get your personal finance and budget in order if you want to want to rely on paying gig economy jobs full-time. Things won't be as straightforward as receiving a bi-monthly paycheck from your employer. You may have several different payouts from several different clients or companies.
This means it's important to stay organized! Use a budgeting spreadsheet or connect with a financial advisor or bookkeeper to ensure you're getting paid what you're owed and that your earnings are properly accounted for.
How to Choose the Best Gig Economy Job For You
With so many options out there, it can feel overwhelming to choose the best gig economy job for you. But it doesn't have to be complicated!
The best way to start is by focusing on your skills and experience. What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing?
There's no point in signing up for a job that you're not qualified for or that you don't enjoy.
Another good option is to think, what industry have I been meaning to break into? The gig economy can provide a good track record of payment and jobs completed in order to get your foot in the door of a new career.
For example, if you've always wanted to be a writer but never had the opportunity, you can start by offering your services as a freelance writer on Fiverr or Upwork.
You can then use your Fiverr or Upwork profile to promote your services on your own website later on, or to share with a company you want to work with.
Just Remember
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should have realistic expectations. The gig economy is a great way to make some extra cash, but it's not going to make you a millionaire overnight.
Start small, focus on quality over quantity, and slowly build your client base. Keep researching the industry and learning everything you can, and you'll be on your way to a successful career in the gig economy!
Read reviews from other gig work professionals and find professional development books or articles to improve your skills.
The Bottom Line
There are plenty of opportunities in the gig economy to make a full-time living. The best way to maximize your earnings is to sign up for multiple gig economy platforms and build a profile that showcases your skills and experience. You should also focus on getting great reviews.
Not only does this make customers more likely to hire you, but it also means that the apps will usually give you more job listing overall. Get your personal finance and budget in order if you want to want to rely on paying gig economy jobs full-time.
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